Parliament of Victoria | Legislative Council | Adjournment
David ETTERSHANK (Western Metropolitan):
My adjournment matter is directed to the Minister for Skills and TAFE Minister Tierney. As I have mentioned many times in this place, western Melbourne is home to three of the fastest growing areas in the nation, with rapid population expansion in the Wyndham, Melton and Sunbury growth corridors. Despite this growth, the area has a limited number of higher education options, forcing many students to commute long distances to access universities and TAFE campuses. This creates barriers to education and limits opportunities for young people in the west.
Education has the power to transform lives. This is particularly relevant for young people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities. Access to education can lift families out of poverty and disadvantage and towards a future with more security and choice.
Local residents are calling on the government to establish more university and TAFE campuses in the west. This will effectively tackle two issues simultaneously. Access to local campuses will cut travel time, reduce dropout rates and increase access, especially for low-income families. It will also provide growing local sectors with a skilled workforce right on their doorstep to meet regional demand and grow the economy.
We know that in Wyndham alone two-thirds of workers leave the west to work in other areas. This would go some way to cutting congestion and pollution and would also reduce cost-of-living pressures. There are plans to open two TAFE campuses in Melton and Sunbury in 2028. These will deliver training in the plumbing, electrical and construction trades. That is great, but the west also desperately needs job-ready skills in other fields such as health care, IT, education and child care, to name but a few.
Residents of the Western Metro Region want to see a range of programs and courses that cater to the diverse needs and interests of the community, including vocational training, undergraduate and postgraduate degrees and continuing education opportunities. As the population continues to surge, the need for more tertiary and vocational education in a broad range of sectors, including the ever-growing care sector, is increasingly urgent.
I ask the minister to meet with Kangan TAFE to discuss broadening their vocational training and higher education offerings beyond simply construction trades.
Written Answer
Received: 14 October 2025
Hon. Gayle Tierney
(Minister for Skills and TAFE, Minister for Water)
I thank the Member for raising this matter regarding tertiary and vocational education opportunities in Melbourne’s western growth corridors.
The Allan Labor Government recognises that access to education is a cornerstone of opportunity and social mobility. As Melbourne’s west continues to grow, we are ensuring locals can access the skills and qualifications they need close to home. Across the West, our Government supports a strong network of TAFEs and Learn Locals delivering high-quality, accessible training.
Bendigo Kangan Institute (BKI), Victoria University (VU), and The Gordon deliver Free TAFE courses across the region – helping more than 212,000 Victorians gain skills for jobs in construction, health, IT, education and community services since 2019.
BKI delivers nationally recognised programs from its Broadmeadows and Essendon campuses in health, digital technology, business and education support. Its new Health and Community Centre of Excellence, opened in 2025, and digital programs in IT, cybersecurity and media are directly aligned with workforce demand.
Victoria University (VU) provides vocational and higher education across its Footscray Park, Footscray Nicholson, St Albans, Sunshine and Werribee campuses, spanning trades, health, education, IT and business. The Gordon TAFE also contributes through its Werribee campus, offering training in nursing, aged care, pathology and remedial massage.
These efforts are reinforced by a network of Learn Local providers across the west, offering flexible, low-cost training pathways into further study and work through digital literacy and computing, English language, and employability programs.
And to meet future demand, the Allan Labor Government is establishing two new TAFE campuses in Melton and Sunbury by 2028, to be operated by BKI.
The Melton campus will be a $55 million facility accommodating around 600 students annually. It will deliver best-practice training in construction and related trades, helping to meet regional workforce needs. I was proud to announce the Cobblebank location recently with the Member for Melton Steve McGhie- right near the train station, the new secondary school and the future hospital. Interim courses in digital technology will be delivered right across the road, at Melton Council’s Western Business Accelerator and Centre of Excellence (BACE).
Planning for the new Sunbury TAFE campus is full steam ahead with the location close to the town centre announced earlier this year alongside Member for Sunbury Josh Bull. Sunbury campus will be a $25 million development in the heart of Sunbury offering training in digital technologies, early childhood education, community services and pre-apprenticeships. Designs are being finalised, and BKI is already on the ground delivering an interim offering out of the Hume Global Learning Centre.
Together, the TAFE Network and Learn Locals form a strong and responsive vocational education ecosystem – supporting local jobs, social mobility and economic growth in the West.
[ENDS]
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